Conduit stowage means



Feb. 21, 1967 J. D. DEAL, JR

CONDUIT STOWAGE MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Dec. 24, 1963 umo hmm

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BY /JW ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2;

J. D. DEAL, JR

CONDUI T STOWAGE MEANS mw w omw Q mm@ 1% f m m Q MA m m um D mmw m J w 0 m.

Feb. 21, 1967 Original Filed Dec. 24, 1963 Feb. 21, 1967 J. D. DEAL, JR 3,305,107

GONDUIT STOWAGE MEANS Original Filed Dec. 24, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS JOSEPH D DEQLAY.

%WM4u/J W ATTORNEYB United S tat'es Patent 1 433,129 r 6 Claims. (Cl. 214-45 The present application is a division of copending US.

patent application Serial No. 332,999, filed Dec. 24,

The present invention relates to a conduit storage means, and more particularly to a conduit stowage means which is adapted for stowing conduit sections utilized in underwater mining operations at great depths beneath the surface of the sea.

The apparatus of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with apparatus employed for the recovery of solid substances disposed at the bottom of the sea such as manganese nodules which are resting on the sea bottom and which are found in quantities sufficient for commercial mining at depths ranging generally from 400 feet to 12,000 feet or more beneath the surface of the sea.

Apparatus employed for mining of such substances includes a ship adapted to move through the water over a particular mining area of the sea bottom along with a collecting means adapted to move along the sea bottom itself to collect the solid substances, and the conduit means is provided for transporting the collected solid bodies from the collecting means up to the ship.

The conduit means employed in this type of underwater mining operation is composed of a plurality of individual conduit sections of a relatively large size, and in a typical example a conduit section may be on the order of 36 feet in length and having an inner diameter of approximately 19 inches.

The conduit sections employed in this type of operation are generally tubular in construction and include outwardly extending peripheral flanges at opposite ends thereof of such construction that the sections may be readily and quickly assembled and disassembled with respect to one another.

It is contemplated that the underwater mining equipment will be carried to the mining site by the ship, and accordingly, the ship must include means for stowing the equipment on board. The present invention is particularly directed to the stowage means which is adapted r to stow the individual conduit sections in a very compact arrangement such that these sections can be stowed in a minimum amount of space and yet at the same time the sections will be readily available and easily removed from the stowage means when it is desired to assemble the conduit means.

The unique stowage means of the present invention accordingly provides means for stowing the individual sections of the conduit means in as compact a space as possible, the individual sections being maintained in proper stowed position by suitable quide portions provided within the stowage area which also'ensure that the conduit sections are properly guided when being removed from the stowage area or returned thereto.

A suitable maneuverable vehicle is also provided within 3,395,197 Patented Feb. 21, 1867 the stowage area to permit a single operator to move about within the area and to effectively lift and lower the large conduit sections and move them into the desired position.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ship for use in underwater mining operationsincluding stowage means for stowing individual conduit sections in as compact a space as possible.

Another object of the invention is the provision of stowage means which effectively holds the individual conduit sections in proper stowed position and which also provides means for properly guiding the individual sections out of the stowage area when the sections are being lifted therefrom and further which guides the individual sections into the proper stored position when they are being returned to stowage area.

Other objects and many attendantadvantages of the invention will become more apparent when considered in connection with the specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view partly broken away through the stowage area for the individual conduit sections according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view illustrating the details of construction of the upper support means;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a first form of the lower support means;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a second form of the lower support means;

.FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view illustrating the manner in which the conduit sections are secured in place on certain of the upper support means portions;

FIG. 9 is a view looking upwardly within the stowage area illustrating the portable rail section arrangement of the present invention;

,FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 10-10 of FIG. 3 looking in the directionof the arrows; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 1111 of FIG. '10 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the general arrangement and layout of the stowage area according to the present invention. As seen in these figures, the upper deck of a ship is indicated by reference numeral 635 and the access hatch to the stowage area is indicated by the reference numeral 443. It will be understood that this upper deck and hatch structure forms a part of a mining ship which may be identical in construction with that disclosed in the aforedescribed parent US. patent application Serial No. 332,999, filed December 24, 1963. v

The stowage area itself is defined by a forward wall portion 637, a pair of side wall portions 638 and 639 and a rear wall portion indicated generally by reference nu meral 646. Upper support means is provided for supporting an upper portion of the individual conduit sections, this upper support means including a plurality of spaced portions indicated by reference numerals 642 which extends substantially longitudinally of the associated ship, and a pair of transversely extending portions 643 are provided for a purpose hereinafter described. It should be understood that only half of the upper support means is seen in FIG. 3, the other half having been broken away to disclose the underlying lower support means.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the construction of the upper support portions may be more clearly understood. As seen in FIG. 4, the spaced portions 642 are provided with a first plurality of substantially arcuate cutout portions 645 which extend downwardly from the upper surfaces of the support portions only a minor portion of the thickness of the support portions.

Each of the spaced support portions is also provided with a plurality of substantially arcuate cutout portions 646 which extend downwardly from the upper surface of the support portions a substantially greater distance than the cutout portions 645. It will be noted that adjacent spaced portions thereby include pairs of opposed cutout portions, adjacent pairs of such cutout portions extending downwardly different distances from the upper surfaces of the support portions.

These pairs of opposed cutout portions are adapted to receive the upper flange of individual conduit sections as indicated in phantom line in FIG. 4. By providing adjacent pairs of recesses of diiferent vertical depth from the top of the support portions, it is possible to store the conduit sections in staggered relationship with the flanges of adjacent ones of the conduit sections disposed in overlapping relationship with one another as will be most clearly understood from inspection of FIG. l.

This permits the conduit sections to be stored in rows in the spaces defined between adjacent spaced portions of the upper support means, with the conduit sections disposed in as compact a relationship as possible thereby minimizing the amount of space required to stow a desired number of conduit sections.

The spaces adapted to receive the rows of conduit sections are indicated by reference numerals 648 in the upper portion of FIG. 3, it being understood that the support means is empty as shown.

Referring to FIG. 4, movable support means 650 are pivoted at one end thereof as indicated at 651 to the support means and are adapted to swing across the open end of the spaces defined between the portions of the upper support means into a position as shown in the upper part of FIG. 4 wherein the movable support means is blocking off the space. On the other hand, the movable support means may be swung into the position at the lower part of FIG. 4 so as to open the space. These movable support means are adapted to close off certain of the spaces and to retain the conduit sections in the rows which they normally occupy when in stored relationship. When it is desired to remove the conduit sections from any particular row, the movable support means 650 is swung into a position so as to open the space as illustrated in the lower portion of FIG. 4. It will be noted that each of the movable support means is provided with a cutout portion 653 in the lower edge thereof which is adapted to fit over a bolt or the like 652 extending outwardly from the outer end of the associated portion of the upper support means.

Referring now to the lower portion of FIG. 3, a first plurality of lower support member means is indicated by reference numerals 655 and a second plurality of lower support means is indicated by reference numeral 656. It will be understood that not all of the lower support means have been illustrated in FIG. 3, and that there is a lower support means to correspond with each supported conduit section, it being noted that there is a lower support means directly beneath each opposed pair of cutout portions in the upper support means, there also being provided three lower support means to correspond for each of the three cutout portions 657 formed in the transversely extending upper support portions 643.

Cit

Referring to FIG. 5, the construction of the first support means 655 is illustrated, and it will be noted that this simply comprises a substantially disc shaped member which extends upwardly a small distance above the supporting deck surface 659, and which includes an upper tapered edge 660 to facilitate entry of this portion into the lower open end of a conduit section.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the construction of the support means 656 is illustrated, and it will be noted that this particular form of support means includes a substantially disc like portion 662 supported on a plate 663 which in turn is supported by three transversely extending rib portions 664 which in turn are supported upon the underlying deck support surfaces 659. An upper tapered edge 665 is provided to facilitate entry of this portion into a conduit section.

It is apparent that the support means 656 extend-up.- wardly from the supporting deck surface 659 a distance which is substantially greater than that which the support means 655 extend upwardly therefrom. The support means 655 which is of lesser height is disposed beneath the opposed cutout portions 646, whereas the support means 656 is disposed below the cutout portions 645 in the upper support means. With this arrangement, the upper and lower support means are adapted to engage and support the upper and lower portions of associated conduit sections as will be well understood.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 8, the manner in which the conduit means are supported on the upper support portions 643 is illustrated. As seen in this figure, one of the three conduit sections supported by each of the support portions 643 is illustrated, the conduit section being indicated by reference numeral 590 and including an upper flange 595. In order to retain this upper flange in its operative position within the arcuate cutout portion formed in support portion 643, a strap means 667 is disposed around the outer surface of the conduit section 590, opposite ends of the strap means being held in operative position by suitable means such as bolts 668, one of which is visible in FIG. 8. It will be understood that the conduit sections supported by each of the upper support portions 643 are held in normal stowed position by similar means, lower support means 655 being disposed therebeneath for'engaging and supporting the lower end portions of these conduit sections.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a catwalk means 670 is supported within the stowage area by the wall portions previously described which define the stowage area, this catwalk means being disposed in overlying relationship to the upper support means and also lging spaced a substantial distance below the upper deck As seen particularly in FIG. 2, this catwalk means is composed of a plurality of portions 672 defining spaces 673 therebetween. These spaces are substantially aligned with the central portions of the spaces defined between the upper support means portions previously described such that the spaces 673 defined ,by the catwalk means are adapted to receive part of the conduit'section handling means hereinafter describe-d. The catwalk means of course permits personnel to walk around and to permit an operator to readily gain access to the handling means as hereinafter set forth. 7

Track means is supported beneath the upper deck 635 for supporting a suitable handling means which is adapted to run along the track means, this track means consisting of a plurality of main track portions 675 each of which is of a substantially I-beam cross sectional configuration for supporting the handling means. These main track portions are supported substantially over the center lines of the spaces between the upper support means portions previously described such that the handling means is adapted to move over these spaces and to permit engagement of the conduit sections supported within these spaces for lifting and lowering the conduit sections when removing them from stowage or returning them to stowage.

It will be understood that in both FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper and lower portions thereof represent different vertical levels, and that in FIG. 3 the upper support means has been broken away at the lower half of the figure to illustrate the lower support means whereas in FIG. 2, the catwalk means has been broken away in the upper half of the figure to illustrate the track means. In each case it should also be fully understood that the upper and lower support means as well as the catwalk and the track means is symmetrical on either side of the centerline of the ship which is equivalent to a centerline drawn horizontally through these figures.

The track means includes'a plurality of turntable track portions 677 one of which is illustrated in detail in FIG. 7. As seen in FIG. 7, each of the turntable track portions includes a substantially disc shaped portion 680 having a shaft means 681 extending upwardly therefrom and supported by suitable bearing means indicated at 682 supported by the upper deck. With this arrangement, the disc like portion 680 is mounted for rotation through an angle of 360. A track means 684 in the form of a member having a substantially inverted T-shaped crosssectional configuration is secured to the undersurface of the disc means and is adapted to be swung into position so as to be aligned with one of the main track portions 675 or to be aligned with an adjacent track portion of a turntable track portion as hereinafter described.

As seen particularly in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, guide means for guiding the vertical movement of the conduit sections out of the stowage means includes guide rail means comprising three spaced guide rails 687, 688 and 689 which extend substantially vertically within the stowage area to a point closely adjacent the access hatch 443. The guide rails 688 and 689 are of substantially H-shaped cross sectional configuration as seen particularly in FIG. 11, while the remaining guide rail portion 687 is of substantially T-shaped configuration. This guide rail 687 is also removable so as to enable access of the handling means hereinafter described to a particular space between the portions of the upper support means as will be hereinafter explained.

A movable guide portion is indicated generally by reference numeral 691, this guide portion having a substantially triangular shaped configuration including the side portions 693, 694, and 695 as seen in FIG. 11. A first plurality of guide rollers 697 are rotatably supported by spaced portions of the movable guide portions and are adapted to engage parts of the guide rail 688 to guide vertical movement of the movable guide portion. A similar plurality of rollers 698 are rotatably supported by the movable guide portion and cooperate with guide rail 689 to guide vertical movement. A third plurality of guide rollers 699 are rotatably supported by the movable guide portion and engage parts of the movable guide rail 687 for guiding the movement of movable guide portion 691. It is apparent that the movable guide portion will be accurately guided in its vertical movement by the interengagement of the guide rollers with the guide rails. As seen in FIG. 10, a bumper means 700 is provided on the lower portion of the movable guide portion in order to prevent damage to the undersurface thereof and to cushion the fall of the movable guide portion as hereinafter described.

As seen particularly in FIG. 11, the side portion 693 of the movable guide portion is provided with a pair of spaced bosses 702, side portion 694 of the movable guide portion being provided with a pair of similar bosses 703, and the remaining side portion 695 of the movable guide portion being provided with a pair of spaced bosses 704. Three similar detent members indicated generally by reference numerals 706 are provided, each of these detent members being pivotally supported upon pin means 707', the three pin means being mounted between adjacent pairs of bosses 702, 703 and 704. r

The pivotally mounted detent members comprise a means for engaging a lower portion of a conduit section for interconnecting the movable guide portion with a lower portion of the conduit section as hereinafter described. Each of the detent members 706 is constantly urged into the operative position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, by associated spring members 709 which are wrapped around the pin means upon which'the detent members are mounted, the spring means engaging the detent members for urging them in the desired direction of rotation about the supporting pin means. Suitable means such as a lug 710 as seen in FIG. 10 may be connected with the associated bosses 702, 703 and 704 for engaging the detent members and limiting inward pivotal movement thereof.

As can be'seen most clearly in FIG. 10, each of the detent members 706 is provided with an upwardly facing cam surface 712. A lower flange of a conduit section is indicated by the phantom line 600, this conduit section being lowered into position by the handling means hereinafter described. A support means 656 which is substantially identical with the support means 656 previously de scribed in connection with FIG. 6 is fixed to the supportingdeck surface and is adapted to guide the lower portion of the conduit section into proper operative position. It will be apparent that as the conduit section is lowered into the operative position shown, the lower flange of the con duit will engage the upwardly facing cam surfaces 712 of each of the detent members and will earn the detent members out of the way so that the conduit section may be lowered into the position shown with the bottom flange of the conduit section supported on the support means 656'. When the conduit section reaches this position, the spring means 709 will cause each of the detent members to pivot back into its operative position shown whereupon the downwardly facing lower surface 714 formed on the upper portion of each of the detent members will be adapted to engage the upper surface of the lower flange on theconduit section. When the detent members are in this position, it is apparent that'the movable guide portion will be operatively interconnected with the lower flange of the conduit section.

When the movable guide portion has been operatively connected with the lower flange of the conduit section as discussed above, the conduit section can then be raised in a vertical direction carrying the movable guide portion 691 along therewith. The guide rollers on the movable guide portion will cooperate with the guide rail means previously described so as to accurately guide the conduit section in its upward vertical movement.

Referring now to FIG. 9, three spaced projections 716 are supported from the undersurface of the main deck, these projections being spaced in overlying relationship to the detent members 706 and being adapted to engage surfaces 718 on the detent members. As seen in FIG. 10, each of last-mentioned surfaces 718 are disposed inasubstantially horizontal position when in the operative connected relationship as shown, and accordingly as the movable guide portion is carried upwardly by an asso- 'ciated conduit section, the projections 716 will engage the surfaces 718 on the detent members so as to cause them to pivot out of the operative connected relationship with the lower flange of an associated conduit section whereby the movable guide portion will be released from the associated conduit section. The conduit section may then be raised further above the main deck and maneuvered into' the desired position for lowering intomining relationship as hereinafter described. I

When the movable guide portion is so released from an associated conduit section, it will drop under the influence of gravity down along the associated guide rail means, and the bumper means 700 at the bottom thereof will cushion the fall of the movable guide portion and prevent damage thereto. The movable guide portion will then be in the position as seen in FIG. 10 adapted to receive the lower flange of another conduit section.

As seen in FIG. 2, short fixed track portions 678 are supported adjacent the inboard turntable track portions to permit the handling means to travel from the access hatch 443 to the turntable track portions.

When it is desired to move any particular section, the handling means is operated to a point above a section, the handling means moving along the track portions previously described. If the conduit section happens to be one of those supported by support portion 643, the strap means 667 is first removed so that it can be moved upwardly. The conduit sections are raised until the lower end portion thereof clears the lower support means upon which it has been resting.

The handling means is then moved along the associated turntable track portion and thence onto one of the athwartships track portions to a point adjacent the access hatch 443, and as seen in FIG. 9 which is a view looking upwardly at the access hatch, a portable rail section 800 is supported on the undersurface of a member sill which is adapted to fit within the access hatch and be supported at such point. As shown, the portable rail section 800 is i1- lustrated as being aligned with a particular main track portion 675. A first phantom line 803 indicates the manner in which another member similar to the member 801 can be provided with a portable rail section aligned with a main track section 67 In a similar manner, phantom lines 804 and SOS-illustrate arrangements wherein a member similar to member 801 can be provided with rail sections aligned either with the main rail section 675" or with the athwartships sections 678. It will accordingly be understood that in the procedure for removing the conduit sections, a member having a rail section is positioned in the access hatch 443 so that the handling means may be moved into such position that it is centered over the support means 656' disposed at the bottom central portion of the vertically extending guide means previously described.

The conduit section is lowered until a lower portion is supported on the support means 656' and the conduit means is suitably secured to the guide means. The conduit section may then be raised through the access hatch by a suitablebridge crane or the like and the vertical guide means will guide such movement of the conduit section.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is pro vided according to the present invention new and novel conduit stowage means wherein a ship for use in underwater mining operations can be provided with means for stowing individual conduit sections in as compact a space as possible. The stowage means effectively holds the individual conduit sections in proper stowed position and also provides means for properly guiding the individual sections out of the. stowage area when the sections are being lifted therefrom and back into the stowage area when being returned thereto.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for underwater mining at great depths beneath the surface of the sea including a ship adapted to move through the water, said ship including conduit section stowage means therein, said stowage means including upper support means for supporting upper portions of conduit sections and lower support means for supporting lower portions of conduit sections, said upper support means comprising a plurality of spaced portions having recesses formed therein for receiving parts of associated conduit sections, said recesses being of generally arcuate configuration, adjacent ones of said recesses being disposed at different vertical levels so as to support the associated conduit sections in staggered relationship with respect to one another.

2. Apparatus for underwater mining at great depths beneath the surface of the sea including a ship adapted to move through the Water, said ship including conduit section stowage means therein, said stowage means including upper support means comprising a plurality of spaced portions having a plurality of substantially arcuate recesses formed therein, the recesses of said spaced portions defining a plurality of pairs of recesses each of which is adapted to receive a part of an associated conduit section, adjacent pairs of said recesses being disposed at different vertical levels, lower support means supported about said ship beneath said upper support means and adapted to engage a lower portion of an associated conduit section, said lower support means comprising a first plurality of support members and a second plurality of support members, said first and second support members being disposed at different vertical levels whereby the conduit sections supported by said upper and lower support means are adapted to be supported in staggered relationship with respect to one another.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said spaced portions of said upper support means define a plurality of spaces each of which is adapted to receive a row of conduit sections, and movable support means for closing off each of said spaces.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 including strap means for retaining conduit sections in operative position with respect to certain parts of said upper support means.

5. Apparatus for underwater mining at great depths beneath the surface of the sea including a ship adapted to move through the water, said ship including conduit section stowage means therein, said stowage means including upper support means comprising a plurality of fixed spaced portions, said portions including upper surfaces and lower surfaces, said spaced portions being provided with a first plurality of substantially arcuate cutout portions extending downwardly from the upper surfaces of the support portions only a minor portion of the thickness of the support portions and defining a first plurality of pairs of recesses opposite one another adapted to receive parts of associated conduit sections, said spaced portions also being provided with a second plurality of substantially arcuate cutout portions which extend downwardly from the upper surface of the support portions a substantially greater distance than said first plurality of cutout portions to define a second plurality of pairs of recesses opposite one another and disposed at different vertical levels from said first plurality of pairs of recesses, all of said recesses being spaced from the lower surfaces of said spaced portions, said second plurality of pairs of recesses being adapted to receive parts of associated conduit sections, lower support means supported by said ship beneath said upper support means and adapted to engage the lower portion of associated conduit sections, said lower support means comprising a first plurality of support members and a second plurality of support members, said first plurality of support members being disposed beneath various ones of said first pairs of recesses to engage lower portions of conduit sections supported by said first pairs of recesses, said second plurality of support members being disposed beneath various ones of said second pairs of recesses to engage lower portions of conduit sections supported by said second pairs of recesses, whereby the conduit sections supported by said upper and lower support means are adapted to be supported in staggered relationship with respect to one another.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said spaced References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 368,57 8 8/1887 Frazier.

Rymal 2116O Fearon 29487. 22 Woolslayer et a1 214-2.5 ONeill et a1.

GERALD M. FORL-ENZA, Primary Examiner. ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR UNDERWATER MINING AT GREAT DEPTHS BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE SEA INCLUDING A SHIP ADAPTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE WATER, SAID SHIP INCLUDING CONDUIT SECTION STOWAGE MEANS THEREIN, SAID STOWAGE MEANS INCLUDING UPPER SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING UPPER PORTIONS OF CONDUIT SECTIONS AND LOWER SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING LOWER PORTIONS OF CONDUIT SECTIONS, SAID UPPER SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED PORTIONS HAVING RECESSES FORMED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING PARTS OF ASSOCIATED CONDUIT SECTIONS, SAID RECESSES BEING OF GENERALLY ARCUATE CONFIGURATION, ADJACENT ONES OF SAID RECESSES BEING DISPOSED AT DIFFERENT VERTICAL LEVELS SO AS TO SUPPORT THE ASSOCIATED CONDUIT SECTIONS IN STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER. 